英式英语和美式英语在语法上的不同.doc

DifferencesinAmericanandBritishEnglishgrammar
Introduction
SpeakersofAmericanEnglishgenerallyusethepresentperfecttense(have/has+pastparticiple)farlessthanspeakersofBritishEnglish、InspokenAmericanEnglishitisverymontousethesimplepasttenseasanalternativeinsituationswherethepresentperfectwouldusuallyhavebeenusedinBritishEnglish、Thetwosituationswherethisisespeciallylikelyare:
(i)Insentenceswhichtalkaboutanactioninthepastthathasaneffectinthepresent:
AmericanEnglish/BritishEnglish
Jennyfeelsill、Sheatetoomuch、
Jennyfeelsill、She'seatentoomuch、
Ican'tfindmykeys、Didyouseethemanywhere?
Ican'tfindmykeys、Haveyouseenthemanywhere?
(ii)Insentenceswhichcontainthewordsalready,justoryet:
AmericanEnglish/BritishEnglish
A:Aretheygoingtotheshowtonight?
B:No、Theyalreadysawit、
A:Aretheygoingtotheshowtonight?
B:No、They'vealreadyseenit、
A:IsSamanthahere?
B:No,shejustleft、
A:IsSamanthahere?
B:No,she'sjustleft、
A:CanIborrowyourbook?
B:No,Ididn'treadityet、
A:CanIborrowyourbook?
B:No,Ihaven'treadityet、
1、Verbagreementwithcollectivenouns
InBritishEnglishcollectivenouns,(i、e、nounsreferringtoparticulargroupsofpeopleorthings),(e、g、staff,government,class,team)canbefollowedbyasingularorpluralverbdependingonwhetherthegroupisthoughtofasoneidea,orasmanyindividuals,e、g、:
Myteamiswinning、
Theotherteamareallsittingdown、
InAmericanEnglishcollectivenounsarealwaysfollowedbyasingularverb,soanAmericanwouldusuallysay:
Whichteamislosing?
whereasinBritishEnglishbothpluralandsingularformsoftheverbarepossible,asin:
Whichteamis/arelosing?
2、Useof“have”and“take”
InBritishEnglish,theverbhavefrequentlyfunctionsaswhatistechnicallyreferredtoasadelexicalverb,i、e、itisusedincontextswhereithasverylittlemeaninginitselfbutoccurswithanobjectnounwhichdescribesanaction,e、g、:
I'dliketohaveabath、
Haveisfrequentlyusedinthiswaywithnounsreferringtomonactivitiessuchaswashingorresting,e、g、:
She'shavingalittlenap、
I'lljusthaveaquickshowerbeforewegoout、InAmericanEnglish,theverbtake,ratherthanhave,isusedinthesecontexts,e、g、:
Joe'stakingashowe